The faltering Raptors will host the red-hot Knicks at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TSN), in a battle of teams moving in opposite directions.
How bad can the 905 get? The Raps have lost 11 games in a row and are starting to flirt with the wrong kind of history. Toronto has lost 13 consecutive games on four different occasions since its inaugural NBA season in 1995-96. The franchise’s record losing streak is 17, established in 1997-98, when rookie Tracy McGrady’s team went 16-66.
That team was just young. This one has simply had ups and downs in his luck. Darko Rajaković, for all intents and purposes, has done a good job. But when you lose several key cogs to injury, including All-Star Scottie Barnes (hand) and big man Jakob Poeltl (pinkie), and then are left without a complementary leading scorer in RJ Barrett (grief), the losses start to pile up. . .
Now the Knicks head north of the border to face the Raps for the first time since Masai Ujiri sent OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa to New York for Barrett. Anunoby (elbow) is dealing with an injury of his own, as are Knicks greats Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle). Still, New York has won six of its last seven games and has gone an incredible 15-2 record with Anunoby active.
Can the Raptors come out of this epic losing streak and pull off an upset? Or will Jalen Brunson and his Villanova-laden Knicks continue the streak of abuse Toronto suffered in March? Let’s reveal the BetMGM Odds and Best Bets for this Eastern Conference clash at 905.
Raptors vs Knicks Prediction, Player Fixtures, Best Bets Against the Spread and Moneyline
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized NBA gaming operator.
- ETA: Knicks -13.5 (-110) | Raptors +13.5 (-110)
- Money line: Knicks -900 | Raptors +600
- Below: Or 211.5 (-105) | U 211.5 (-115)
There are no surprises here. Shorthanded Raptors are 13-23 and against the spread at home, which tells us that Toronto’s losses haven’t even been that close. Meanwhile, New York is a 9-3-1 ATS road favorite.
Raptors vs Knicks predictions, best bets
Tom Thibodeau deserves to be in the Coach of the Year discussion. The Knicks have suffered multiple injuries to key contributors and yet they remain in the top four in the East. One of the best parts about this New York team is that they don’t take inferior opponents lightly and never Downplay your competition.
That’s not good for Toronto, arguably the worst team in the NBA since they traded Anunoby and Siakam and lost Scottie Barnes to injury. The Raps have a great coach on the sidelines in Darko, but they don’t have a true leader on the court. Nobody is able to control the games, they have a hard time recovering rebounds and they can’t protect the rim. He’s ugly.
We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from veteran Gary Trent Jr., and the emergence of youngsters Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Javon Freeman-Liberty has been fun. Kelly Olynyk has also been an above-average passer and playmaker since he joined his hometown team. But there’s a lot more good than bad north of the US-Canada border, and the Raps don’t stand a chance against a team as focused and tenacious as New York.
Jalen Brunson has become Mr. Efficient, destroying his opponents with deceptively easy ease. Donte DiVincenzo wasted time becoming one of the top three three-point shooters in the NBA. Josh Hart is playing crazy minutes and racking up triple-doubles. Isaiah Hartenstein has become the chairman of Gotham’s boards of directors. Everyone in Thib’s system knows his role and plays it almost perfectly.
As we mentioned earlier, the Knicks are 9-3-1 ATS as road favorites. They should leave the score at 10-3-1 here, as the Raptors can’t compare to New York on either end of the court. Don’t think too much about it, just go to the pot and make the best bet.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Knicks 115, Raptors 99 – The Knicks gain (-900) and cover (+13.5), and the score ends just ON the projected total (211.5).
